North Korea launched a short-range ballistic missile and two types of rockets on two occasions earlier this month.

This has garnered a lot of coverage, but the true significance of the missile being tested as it concerns the Korean peninsula has not been fully discussed.

It is necessary to begin by addressing the terminology used in mainstream media during the initial reportage. The imprecise term “projectile” was frequently employed for political reasons, but a projectile is anything that can be hurled – such as a rock. When discussing missiles and rockets, the use of that term imparts little meaning.